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Flower Power sensor takes root at CES

Parrot’s Bluetooth plant sensor gives green thumbs to everyone, as the Internet of Things spreads to the garden

08 January 2013/13:01GMT

Lots of gardeners talk to their plants, but with the Parrot Flower Power sensor, the plants will be able to talk back.

Parrot is better known for the iPhone-controlled AR.Drone quadricopter, which looks like it was sent back in time by Skynet. The Flower Power may be a hippy in comparison, but it is no less technologically impressive.

Shaped like the top of a leek, gardeners simply stick the Flower Power into their plant pot. On-board sensors then measure things like sunlight, humidity, temperature and fertilizer levels, to ensure your darling buds get the very best treatment.

The data is transferred to the cloud using low-power Bluetooth Smart, where it is evaluated and sent on to your phone or tablet, notifying you if your geraniums need some green fingering.

The app has a database of more than 6000 different plants, so it knows when your gladioli need watering or ferns need fertiliser. A rose by any other name may still smell sweet, but if you don’t know any plant names, the app can guess based on attributes like leaf shape.

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Parrot says the sensor will get six months of battery life, and can be used inside the house or out in the garden. It will be released later this year, although there is no word on pricing.

The Flower Power seems perfect for blossoming horticulturists, although they might want to turn it off when it comes time for pruning. No one wants to hear a rhododendron scream.